Guard for drinking glasses



Nov. 15, 1938. C, s PRINCE 2,136,755-

GUARD FOR DRINKING GLASSES Filed Nov. 9, 1957 -Patented- Nov. 15, 193s j UNITED .STATES PATENT OFFICE f 5 Claims.

This invention relates to drinking glasses and' the likeand more particularly to a guard or strainer adapted to be placed in the glass to hold back ice or other solid matter when the contentsis being drunk.

The object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which shall be cheap to manufacture, eicient in use, and easy to place in position.

In order that the invention may be readily understood, reference is had to the accompanying drawing forming part of this specication, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view of one form of drinking glass with my improved guard or strainer in position therein, parts being broken away;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a different form of glass showing my improved guard applied thereto, parts being broken away; and

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of still another form of glass, showing my improved guard in position therein.

Referring to the drawing in detail, my improved guard or strainer is designated in its entirety by the reference numeral l, and comprises a split ring formed of a crimped` or corrugated strip of resilient sheet material.

This material may be metal,- as for example stainless steel or spring ,brass or bronze', plated if desired. Or it may be of a non-metallic nature, such, for example, as Celluloid, synthetic resin, or other thermoplastic material. In some cases it may even be formed from -fibrous material such as stiff, heavy, ,parained paper or' indurated liber.

In Fig. 2, the free ends of the crimped strip are indicated at 2 and 3. The crimping of the strip and bending the same into a ring as shown in Fig. 2 produces a series of inner loops 4 and outer loops 5, connected by more or less radial portions 6. -The ends of the inner loops- 4 preferlably lie on a circle concentric/with the glass and of such size as to permit of additional ice or the like being placed inthe glass if desired, without disturbing the guard.

Between the extreme end 3 of the ring and the,

adjacent radial portion extends a smooth circumferential portion 3a, conforming substantially with the circle defined by the outer ends of the loops 5, for a purpose hereinaftendescribed. ring isyof such ysize that" by compressing or squeezing "it together, it may be readily placed within a glass or the like, and when released, will expand into close Contact 4with the inner surface thereof. V

In Fig. l, I have illustrated a. common type of drinking glass having cylindrical walls l and an 5 annular enlargement or bulge forming an internal peripheral groove or channel near the top of the glass. In use, my improved resilient guard orstrainer is slightly compressed and inserted into the mouth of the glass until it reaches this groove or channel, when itnexpands and is thus held resiliently in position by the frictional engagement of the outer ends 5 of the loops with the channel or groove. The radial portions 6 extend inwardly a suliicient distance toeiective 15 ly hold back the ice or the like and prevent it from reaching the mouth of the glass when the latter is tilted. v The portion .3a of the ring lies closely against the wall of the glass, and the space between the loops at each side of this portion provides a gap or gateway through which pieces of ice, fruit, etc. may pass, when the glass is held in lthe proper position. That is to say, vii it is desired that ice orother solid matter be discharged from the glass, then thefglass is turned so as to bring the above mentioned gap to the lower side of the glass, when tilted. The contents of the glass may then pass freely through the said gap. If, however, the glass be turned so as to bring this gap to the upper side of the glass, when tilted, the loops 4 will serve to effectively prevent the escape of any large pieces of solid matter.

While my improved guard or strainer is particularly adapted for use in connection with Y' glasses of the type having an annular enlargement, as shown in'Eig. 1, it mayalso be employed in connection with ordinary cylindrical glasses lSuch as illustrated at 'l' in Fig. 3. The inherent 4 resilience of the Astrip causes the outer ends of 40 the loops 5 to frictionally engage the inner wall of the glass to vanextent suflicie'nt to hold the guard lin position, especially in cases where the strip is formed of material having a relatively high coecient of friction, such, for example, as 45 para'ined paper or the like.

In Fig. 4, I have illustrated another well known form of glass 1, having in its upPeIL/portion a. bulge or enlargement B', and a more or less restricted mouth 9. This form of glass is also -well adapted for use with my improved resilient, guard, as the shape of the enlargement tends vto retain the guard in position.

If made of metal, my improved guard or strainer may constitute a permanent article of be discarded after being used once, the same as a paper cup.

`The invention, in its broader aspects, is not necessarily limited to a ring formed of a crimped strip, and in some cases, suilicient compressibility and resilience may be obtained by making the guard in the form of a continuous ring, rather than splitting it at one point, as indicated in Fig. 2. Making it in the form of a split ring, however, adapts it for use with glasses or receptacles of various sizes.

What I claim is:

`1. As an article of manufacture, a guard for drinking glasses comprising a split ring formed of a strip of resilient sheet material and having corrugated portions extending radially inward a substantial distance, said guard adaptedV to be held within the glass by friction.

2. As an article of manufacture, a guard for drinking glasses comprising a split ring formed of a strip of resilient sheet material corrugated to provide a series of inner and Aouter loops con' nected by substantially radial portions all lying substantially in the same plane.

3. As an article of manufacture, a guard for drinking glasses comprising a split ring formed of a strip of resilient sheet material corrugated to provide a series of inner and outer loops connected by substantially radial portions all lying substantially in the same plane, the ends of said inner loops lying substantially on a circle concentric with the glass.

J. 4. A guard for drinking glasses comprising a compressible ring having a circular series of radially inwardly extending elements all but two of which are spaced substantially uniformly apart,

said two being spaced a greater distance apart to provide a relatively wide gap.

5. The combination with a drinking vessel, of a guard comprising a split ring made of a strip of resilient sheet material corrugated to form a series of radially inwardly extending loops, the loops adjacent the ends of said split ring being spaced apart to provide a relatively wide gap.

CHARLES STANLEY PRINCE. 

